Always by Your side
by crystalbluefox
Summary: AU!The memories from the past are not always easily to forget, anddefiantly not when it keeps haunting you. Even so that Zoro are sick, he'll doall what he can to help his love. Sanji's birthday will come up with something good, and something deadly bad!


**Hi everyone! This is my first one-shot **_**ever**_**; knowing me, you know that it's not that short again. –giggle- But I still hope that you all will like it. ^o^**

Big thanks to Mari-chan (Skriblerier) for beta-reading this story and to Jessica (Cloud-Ima), who helped me with Beta-reading this story a second time, as many of you readers had wished. They are both some really good friends and damn, I don't know what I would have done without their help. No matter how busy they are, they finish beta-reading my stories as fast as possible and never push it to the side.

_Thank you Mari and Jessica!!_

_**Disclaimer:**_

_**One Piece is owned by Eiichiro Oda-sensei. All the copyrights associated with One Piece belong to him. Only the ideas contained within this story and some of the characters are the property of the author. No profit is being earned by me, the writer, of this story.**_

**Please enjoy the Story! ~^o^~**

Always by Your side

-A One Piece fan fiction

By Pernille T. Boldemann

Alias

Crystal Blue Fox

_Blood! There was nothing else to see other than that crimson colour on everything in this room; the furniture, the floor, the walls, and even up on the ceiling. Then, there was that smell... the smell of rotten meat and iron. The lamp on the ceiling was still dangling back and forth as a little child stood frozen and stared at the horror before him. There wasn't only blood to see, but also those still bodies before him that had been thrown on a stack in the middle of the room. Torn limbs, shredded clothes, and those warm eyes that once had made him happy now stared emptily back at him. _

_The little blond child fell back on his ass as a scream collected in his throat but didn't let him release it. He scrambled back until his back bumped into the wall and pressed himself up against it. He pulled his thin legs close to his shaking body as tears welled up in his eyes. _

_"Momma…?" He merely whispered, gasping for air while staring at her dead form, her blood-curling scream still ringing in his mind as he stared into her blue eyes. _

_Steps from behind approached him, but he was too shocked to react to them. Then, he felt another presence right beside him as a blond man kneeled down beside him, and the next thing he knew, someone squeezed his hand._

_Then that voice… that voice that once had been speaking so nicely towards him was now right next to his ear._

_"Oh no, my child, what have you done?" The child's breathing became even faster when the man spoke. He never looked up at him. "What have you done with that biiig knife?" _

_'What knife?'_

_He dared to look down and stared in horror at the big, bloodied butcher knife in his little shaking hand. When… when did he pick that up?_

_"What have you done?"_

_'Nothing… momma is-'_

_"What have you done, Sanji?!"_

_"I didn't..."_

_"You know that daddy has to punish you now, right?" Sanji dropped the large knife on the floor and slowly pulled away from his father's piercing dark and maddening eyes. His body started shaking even more than before. _

_"But I-I d-didn't…"_

_"Daddy is really mad at you now, you know that, right, Sanji?" The big hands grabbed the child's little shoulder and squeezed it so hard that Sanji couldn't stop screaming out in pain because of it… which earned him a hard slap across his face so he rolled on the floor. The hands grabbed him again and turned him around so he was looking up at him._

_"Daddy, no!" the little blond cried out loud, screaming as he stared up at the large knife gleaming in his father's white and pale hand. He tried to get free, he tried to pull away, but his father was just too strong as he held him down. The man grabbed the child's hair and forced his head down on the floor._

_"NOO DADDYYY!!" he screamed as the edge of the knife neared his face. "NOOO!!!"_

_"Lay still, you scum of a murder!"_

_"NYAAAAAAARGH!!!!!"_

"AAAAAAAH!!" Sanji sat abruptly up in his bed and stared straight into the darkness before him. His whole body was covered in sweat and he was still shaking uncontrollably. His hands grasped the quilt covering him and his knuckles turned white from the strain.

Arms from behind him suddenly wrapped themselves around his body and he started to panic, freezing. Not even a second later, he tried to pull away from those arms.

"Shhh…" a soothing voice from behind him suddenly spoke. "It's me Sanji, not him… he won't get you… I'm here for you, okay?" The other's body heat touched his back as the other from behind pulled him closer into his arms. "Shhhh." He rocked him back and forth. "Easy now, I'm here, right here for you." The young man leaned his head onto the blonds' shoulder and hummed a song while he kept rocking him back and forth.

Sanji swallowed hard and closed his eyes as he leaned back into those comforting arms. His heart beat slowed as he calmed down slowly. His lover held tighter around him in a deep hug as he could feel him calming more down. Sanji was still gasping, but he wasn't as afraid as before. Those nightmares… those nightmares kept on haunting him, but it had been so long time ago since he last had one. The man behind him nuzzled his nose against his jaw and kissed him lightly on the same spot. Since the first day he met him he always had a way to calm down his nerves; all that medicine he once had never helped him as much as the first time he met him, though at that time, he really wanted to kick his fucking ass. As they started talking together, Sanji found out that the man was listening to him and that he actually cared about him. The biggest surprise that had helped him out from that place was their friendship that turned into love. Even his first kiss came from this man, since no woman dared to approach him, and when they did, they only played with his heart… this man never did…this man saved it.

Sanji took a deep breath as the kisses neared his Adam's apple and opened his eyes to look at him. This man's love had been his savior. The short green hair lighted as a crown on the man's head as the moonshine from the window landed on it, making him look like a majestic king. Even though the chemo therapy normally would make people lose their hair, Zoro's hair wasn't as thick as it used to be, but it was still there. When he looked closer, he saw sweat cover the head under the thin hair, and as he listened closely to his breathing, it was raspy and wheezy.

"Zoro, have you been taking your medicine?" he asked carefully. He knew that he hated taking it. Zoro grumbled, but didn't want to stop kissing him.

"S'okay," he said in his deep, warming voice.

"No, you should take it."

"Hmm," he grumbled in irritation and buried his nose once again into the blonds' neck. He looked up as he suddenly felt his little frame starting to shake again. "Sanji? What is it?"

"I…I need air. I have to get outside." Zoro nodded and gave him one last hug before releasing him. As soon as Sanji felt the arms disappear, he literally jumped out of his bed and scrambled towards the door, searching desperately for the door to the balcony. He grabbed the railing so hard like he was afraid to be sucked out into the night, but the soothing wind cooled his feverish body. He took in a deep breathe and hummed. Air, he loved to be in spacey places, he loved to be outside and watching life keep going as everyone else was sleeping in their beds. He loved to stand here, watching the lights from the city lighting it up in the night. He just loved this city. That was why he moved to it from France, and because of other reasons. His foster father only could agree with him and promised to visit him in New York just to see if his eggplant could handle things on his own, or else he would drag his sorry ass all the way back to France. But he now could, thanks to that green-haired moss-head he shared his life with.

Zoro's light steps approached him from behind that same moment and soon, the man stood right next to him, still only wearing his boxers. "It's a nice sight, isn't it?" Sanji could only agree to this and took against the glass of water that was handed to him and the pills in the man's large hand. He swallowed them fast and washed it down with the rest of the water. He hated taking them, but he had to whenever he had those nightmares and couldn't control his fear. "Did it help?"

"It doesn't work that fast, asshole," Sanji said and rolled his visible eye. Zoro merely chuckled, but the chuckle suddenly turned into coughing. "Oi, you okay? Did you take your medicine?"

"I hate those pills," the green haired man said after calming down. "I can't swallow them like you do, I have to chew them." He shuddered just at the mere thought of it. This time it was Sanji's turn to chuckle when the man stuck out his tongue in disgust.

"Well, too bad, course you're going to take them anyway." Zoro grumbled and Sanji couldn't stop chuckling at him. "I'll go get them; you stay out here and cool down a little," he said as he pointed down, like he was telling a puppy to sit and stay. The man only 'hmm-ed' and pouted even more. He gave him a quick kiss on his cheek before hurrying into the kitchen after the medicine. He filled a glass with milk and took something sweet so he could chew the rest of the medicine down. He wasn't fond of sweets but it always was better than the pills, he always said.

Zoro grunted in disgust before he took the pills, _chewed _them, and hurried to wash it down with the milk before the taste of the medicine managed to explode in his mouth. As the glass went empty, he took the piece of chocolate that literally showed up in front of his face and ate it from the blonds' hand.

"Oi! Don't eat me as well, garbage-head!" the man said as he pulled his hand away and checked it over to reassure himself that all of his fingers still were there.

"At least you'll taste better than all of this," he chuckled. The next thing the blond knew, he was pinned to the railing with Zoro's arms on each side of him.

"At least _you'll_ soon have to stop eating them," he mumbled, but loud enough for the other to hear.

"Ugh, don't remind me about it again," he grumbled and moved a hand up to cup his lover's face. "Right now, I just want to think about you." Before Sanji could even say anything against it, his lips were attacked by the other's and silenced him at once. His hands searched for the green hair of his lover and he moaned into the kiss as Zoro's tongue hit the roof of his mouth. He kissed back and their tongues fought for dominance, but as always, even in his weak state, the grass-head won. He kissed his way from his lips and up to his cheek. The large hand searched under his golden bangs and soon he felt his thumb brush over the large scar running right across his eye. He shuddered at the touch at his most sensitive place.

Zoro pulled a bit away and looked at the closed eye that had revealed from its hiding place under the golden locks. He saw Sanji's healthy eye widen as he kept staring, he knew that he hated it when he stood and stared at it, but he just never could stop doing it. Soon he leaned closer to him and placed a light kiss right on the spot that once had been an eye. The man froze and began shuddering again as he ran his tongue up along the long scar as it reached all the way up to the beginning of his golden hair. Sanji moaned and he could feel those slender fingers grab tighter onto his short hair.

Suddenly, he felt a sickening feeling shoot through his head and, as he opened his eyes, the beautiful frame of his lover was all blurry. Before he even could do anything else other than let out a groan, he collapsed. But before he even hit the floor, he felt Sanji's arms around him.

"Damn it, your idiot! Of course you should think more about yourself than me! Now, back to bed with you!" Zoro groaned once again as he grabbed his throbbing head. His insides were churning around and he had a feeling to throw up at any moment. His hand automatically went up to his mouth as he started to cough again, and his stomach threatened to spill its contents for each jerk of his body. Sanji understood at once and let him slide slowly down to the floor as he grabbed the nearest bucket and sighed as the man couldn't hold it in any longer and emptied his whole stomach into it. Just in time. "Damn it. Your medicine never had the time to take effect," he mostly said to himself and scratched the back of his neck. He watched the man sitting on the floor, whose body trembled after throwing up again. He looked so pale and as he kneeled down before him, he could see his strong and dark gaze, now looking haunted and scared. "You okay?" he asked. Zoro spat into the bucket and groaned when he saw that most of it was blood… again! Damn it! He sloshed it around so it was mixed with the rest of it, but it didn't help… there was too much of it.

He leaned his head down onto his arms and closed his eyes as a dull ache tormented his chest. He grabbed the edge of the bucket so hard that his knuckles turned white. It hurt! Everything hurt so damn much inside of him.

"Hey, Zoro…" he heard Sanji ask him nervously as he felt a trembling hand on his shoulder. He breathed in slowly, trying to calm his chest down and make that wheezing sound coming from his lungs disappear.

"I-I'm-" He couldn't breathe! He swallowed, but felt the clump of spit sit stuck in his throat. He began to shake even more; his vision was completely blurry and things before him melted into each other… he could no longer tell where Sanji was. He coughed again and, just in time, he stuck his head back down in the bucket as he threw up again… but it was nothing but blood! He gasped for air; his skin felt like it was burning and he still felt a dull ache in his chest. Damn it! He _hated _when this happened, especially because it freaked the blond out every time.

"Zoro, hang in there, I'm calling-"

"No!" Zoro said hurriedly. He didn't want to go there this early, he still had some time… he still had a week left. And he still had to do _that _on _that _day! The pain slowly began to subside and he could talk clearer without sounding hoarse at all. "No… I'm okay now… I'm okay now…" he said after taking deep breaths, and then suddenly chuckled, the act hurt like hell, but he didn't care... Sanji didn't have to worry; it hurt more than enough to see that frightened look in his beautiful blue eye. "I was supposed to take care of _you_ and it ends up with _you_ taking care of _me_."

"Can you walk?" Sanji asked. He knew pretty well that Zoro wasn't that _okay_ yet, and he knew that the swordsman did all what he could to hide his pain. That ass!

"I'm not a pansy like you," the green haired spat back and coughed a couple more times.

Sanji had to kill the urge to hit him now. "Watch this _pansy_ not let you stay out here the rest of the night!" he said. Zoro grumbled and stood up and let the blond help him back to the bed. His legs were still a bit wobbly and he still couldn't see clearly. "Now, go to sleep, you need it."

"I'll be okay."

"Not like this, asshole. Your operation is in the next week and I don't want to drag your sorry ass up there."

Zoro sighed. "Did you really have to mention it?"

"Yes, now go to sleep, or I'm going to help you fall asleep with a size 10 shoe in your face!"

Zoro lied down with one arm covering his eyes as he slowly breathed in… Thank God that the pain wasn't as strong as before. "Why are you like this?" he asked. "I'll be okay, I told you, so don't worry!"

"Don't _worry_? Are you fucking stupid, moss-head?!" Sanji growled. "You're fucking going to _DIE _if you don't get that operation, damn it! And not only that, but they're even going to remove the one _lung_ from _you_!!" He said it much louder than he intended to. Zoro hissed at the loud noise ringing in his ears. The blond bit his trembling lip as he tried to stop himself from crying. He sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed beside the other man. "Damn it, Zoro… this is just so damn unfair… it's… it's not even your own fault and you have to suffer like this." Zoro removed his arm from his eyes to look at the trembling man beside him. "This operation, it can both help you, save your life… but it can also take it… damn it! No matter what, the possibility of you dying is too great, and… and…" He leaned his head down into his hands and grabbed his blond bangs. Damn it! Everything was just so fucking unfair!

He didn't realize that he was being pulled down into bed before he laid down on it beside his green-haired lover who held tight around his waist. "Everything will be okay… I won't die… You won't get rid of me _that _easily, curly-brow," he tried to joke, even though he knew that the situation was serious.

"Che! Idiot!" Sanji chuckled slightly, meaning what he said. Zoro smiled teasingly as he nuzzled closer into the blonds' neck and breathed in his calming scent. It felt like a drug to him... a drug he couldn't get enough of.

"Love you too, Aho-cook."

_BANG!_

"Ouch! What the hell?"

"I warned you before, grass-head! Sleep or you'll get a size ten boot in your face!"

Zoro grumbled. "Idiot…"

This time it was Sanji who smiled as he turned fully around and nuzzled closer into the other's chest.

"Love you too, Cactus!"

-x-x-x-

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SANJIII!!"

Sanji stopped in the doorway and looked into his apartment that was decorated by his friends that now stood right before him and cheered for him. He blinked a couple of times with his key still in his hand as both of his two lovely ladies, Nami and Vivi, walked up to him. They hooked their arms through his and led him inside towards a large table with all kind of delicious food where a certain monkey had already begun eating the contents. No wait, that was just Luffy.

"Luffy!" Nami yelled and whacked him over the head.

"What~?" the raven whined and rubbed his head where he was just struck. "It's hard not to touch it when it has been standing here since an hour ago~"

"U-uhm, sorry for being late, guys," Sanji said a bit unsure when he finally found out what was going on and smiled. "And thanks!" Luffy gave him one of his famous broad grins which should have been impossible for a human to do. He looked around the apartment to find a certain green head, but was disappointed to not to see him anywhere. Suddenly, someone covered his eyes from behind and whispered into his ear.

"Looking for someone special?" Sanji smiled when he recognized that deep and calming voice and slowly turned his face to look up at him.

"Yeah, a green mule to boot, you seen one in the near?" he teased. Zoro grunted but leaned a bit down to him and planted a soft kiss on his lips. The ladies squealed and Luffy giggled in the background too; at the same time, they heard the sound of a _click-click_ coming from Nami's camera.

"That was _so _beautiful!" she sighed with a smile on her lips as they pulled apart.

"Can I have that picture too?" Vivi asked gleefully and the redhead already had a deal in store.

"Oh my god, guys!" Usopp shouted and pointed at both Franky and Brook "We're still trying to get used to it, damn it! Don't shock us like that so soon!"

Zoro chuckled and twirled Sanji around before the blond could react and leaned him back like the final move after a beautiful dance, and kissed him deeply… just to mock the three guys. Sanji got the idea and smiled devilishly as he responded passionately. They heard Franky and Brook let out a yelp as they covered their eyes and Usopp screamed up about something like _"Aaargh! My eyes!"_ Luffy still couldn't stop laughing when seeing them and the two girls squeal even louder than before, and became two or three pictures richer. They pulled apart and Sanji could now get a real look at his green-haired lover. Surprisingly, the moss-head wore a black suit with a green shirt under it, three or four buttons were opened to reveal his tanned chest, and his hair had even been styled a bit, and he smelt like a dream. Sanji had to confess that when the idiot wished to, he actually _could _find out putting some stylish clothes on there make him look even hotter than he did to begin with. So hot, that the blond wished to tear it all off to get a 'taste' of that meat under it, and do things towards him that were forbidden for small kids to see.

Zoro smiled when he caught the blond in checking him out and moved a hand down to caress his chin and pulled him a bit closer up to him. "Happy birthday, my lover," he whispered to him. Sanji blinked a couple of times and his cheeks immediately became red.

It was rare that Zoro called him that, especially in front of other people. He looked away and cursed under his breath. He knew he was beet red in the face by now and blamed the heat in there for it. The moss-head just kept giving him both a mocking and a warming smile, so he didn't know if he should kick him or smile back.

The party went peacefully on; everyone had a good time and Usopp overcame his 'trauma', as he liked to put it. All the presents were nice, even though he wouldn't get to use any of them any time soon… but it was the thought that mattered the most! And then there was Zoro's present. He was still holding the little packet in his hands, not daring to open it up. Zoro took it and kneeled down before him. Oh god, he couldn't believe this was true. He both panicked and looked around at all the others who stared at them in disbelief, and he got angry, because the idiot made him get shades darker in the face, and because he made him feel so insecure as well.

"Oh, hell no, Zoro," he said embarrassed but was cut off by the man on the floor.

"Sanji," the green-haired said slowly and seriously to him after taking a deep breath as he started pulling the ribbon of the little packet. "I know what a shit-head and a pain in the ass you can be sometimes, but that's you, and that's what I love you for, for being you!" He let the ribbon slide down to the floor as he started removing the blue paper. Sanji still stood in shock before him; he could see his one leg itching to move up and kick him in the face.

Zoro swallowed hard as they all waited for his next words. Damn it, he had gone through this so many times that he _had_ to stay cool and tell him how he felt. "Uhm, I know that this is a bit awkward, especially for the two of us –and you just keep your mouth shut, Usopp!" he hurried to say, as the long nosed teen was about to say something. "Normally it should be a girl, a woman who I should kneel before, that's what the 'protocol' wished it to be. I…" he stopped unwrapping the present as his fingers started fumbling with it and chewed on his lip. He forced himself to look into Sanji's eye which still stared in disbelief down at him… that ocean blue eye.

He took a deep breath and began removing the paper again. "I _have_ got some proposals here and there from women," he glanced towards Vivi, who blushed at once and tried to hide it under her hand "but somehow it wasn't me. I –to be honest- _hated _the idea of men dating men to begin with, and I never could see myself like that… but then, then I met you, and you turned my life upside down. First I wanted to deny it, I think that was why I wanted to hurt you so much; to prove to myself that I was wrong, that it wasn't true… my feelings, you know. But as more as I tried to deny it, the stronger the urge to hold you, to be with you, to share my life with you became stronger." He removed the paper and hesitated for a moment before he opened the little box as he stared into that endless blue ocean in the man's eye. That same eye widened when he showed him what was in the little box.

"Zo…"

"Sanji." Zoro took his hand and held onto it for dear life, fearing to lose him when he said… no, _asked _him about this little, but then again big 'thing' "We have known each other for almost three years… we've been more than _friends_ for one and a half years… You've been the light in the darkness that saved my life and I don't know what I would do without you, I… I can't even imagine it..." He took a deep breath and squeezed the blonds' hand even more as he tried to keep the eye contact with the man. Nervousness kept rising…why were these lines so hard to say? Because it came from his heart? "Sanji…" he said again. "I love you so much… Will you marry me?"

Time felt like it stopped around them, the seconds of silence felt like hours. No one was breathing; they all waited for the blonds' response… but the blond himself was completely speechless from shock. What on earth was going on here? This… this just couldn't be true. He felt Zoro's hand tremble in nervousness and that normally didn't look like _the_ Roronoa Zoro _he _knew so much of.

He closed his eye and took a deep breath. His heart was beating like crazy, threatening to burst out of his chest in…happiness? He chuckled slightly; he couldn't leave it but to chuckle at it all, then laughing. Was it _this _wonderful?

Zoro looked lost up at him then he felt his heart shatter as the blond, the man in his life, stood there and laughed at him, and laughed at all he had done. For a moment he felt like an idiot.

"So, this is why you dressed yourself like a human for once?" The green-haired blinked. The words didn't even sound mocking, more like teasing with a hint of…_ happiness_?

"So… is that a yes?" he asked while gnawing at his lip. The 'audience' looked from one to the other as they spoke; even Luffy kept his mouth shut. Sanji chuckled again, but this time, it was a bit lighter than before and he squeezed his trembling hand back.

"What does it sound like, asshole? Yes, yes I wanna marry you!"

It felt like a stone leaving Roronoa Zoro's heart as the words were formed. He took out the golden ring from the box and placed it on the blonds' slender finger. Fit perfectly! He weaved his fingers together with that hand carrying the golden ring as he rose up and kissed the man now in his life. Kissed him like never before. Arms wrapped around him and he cried, for once in a very long time, he cried; hearing the other sniffle, he knew that he was doing the same. They buried their heads into each other's shoulder and breathed out and cried together in silence. They didn't want to show their tears to the others and they knew that the one another wouldn't say anything to their cheering friends. Nami's camera clicked many times, Franky was even wailing in the background as the two young men sought up to each others lips once again and never wanted to release one another. Even Usopp and Brook wailed.

_This_ was a birthday to remember!

-x-x-x-

Sanji hummed a happy tune as he walked into the bathroom. The others were now playing his new Wii console and it was his fiancé who was losing and Usopp who was winning… _his_ fiancé. He leaned up against the cold tiles on the wall and sighed as he looked at his hand. _His_ fiancé… it still sounded a bit unnatural when he said it out-loud or thought it, and he couldn't believe that all of this was really happening. But he just had to look at the golden ring on his finger to insure himself that it was not a joke, not a dream, and not a fantasy, but the _real_ thing. To be honest, he had never thought he would marry a _man_, but a _woman_…

He turned his hand and examined the ring a bit closer; it was a simple golden ring without all that gaudy stuff. Just like he liked it; simple and beautiful, just like Zoro was. He pushed himself from the wall and went over to do his business and even caught himself humming a wedding-song in the meantime. He zipped his pants up and went over to wash his hands, wondering if the ring could handle being washed like that. He took the ring off, washed his hands, dried them, and hurried to put on the ring back on its proper place. He felt his heart jump in joy when he could see the fearless Roronoa Zoro kneeling before him again in his thoughts, and stutter like a high school kid who asked his girl out to the school ball… but _this_ was much more than just a _school ball_. _This _was true _love_!

He walked up to the door and turned the door handle and pushed against the door… but it didn't open. He double checked to see if he had forgotten to unlock the lock, but no matter how many times he turned that knob and pushed against that door, it wouldn't open.

"Hey!" he called and pushed even more against the door. "HEY! Anyone out there?!" He rattled the door handle harder and harder. He could feel he was slowly starting to panic. He _hated _small rooms, especially small rooms he couldn't come out of again. It always made him remember _things_. He banged on the door; his heart began beating even faster, his pulse rose and his breathing came out in gasps. "H-HEY!" Then, all of a sudden, the light turned off. He held his breath as he looked nervously around the dark room. Then, an old, weird feeling started to wake up inside of him, the feeling of being squeezed or smashed by an unseen power, and the feeling of being choked in his own fear. His heart began to beat faster and his breathing came in small, fast, and sharp gasps. He turned around and turned the door handle again, he pushed to the door with his shoulder, but it suddenly felt like all of his strength was disappearing. "Open, open the damn door!" His voice was high pitch and shaky.

_"Open the door! Help me!" The little child shook the door handle as he tried to get out of the room. He kicked it and banged his shoulder into it. His blood was rushing through his veins and his heart was galloping inside of his little chest._

_"Sanji~, come here my **son**~"_

_Sanji cried and screamed as he kept hammering on the door. "Get me out of here! HELP MEEE!!" His father crawled towards him on the floor; both of his legs were bleeding. The little blond knew that this was bad; he himself had stabbed him in the legs so he could get away. But he still had the key. "MOMMAAA!! UNCLEEE!! MAAAY!! DADDYYY!!" Suddenly he felt a large hand grab his thin leg and pull him down on the floor. Sanji cried like never before and tried to get away. "NOOOO!!!" _

_"You damn kid! How dare you call that pisshead your father!" From the corner of his healthy eye, the child could see that same bloodied knife being lifted up in the air… that same knife that took his now bleeding left eye. "**I'M YOUR FATHER!! Not HIM!!**" Then he stabbed the knife down..._

Sanji screamed and scratched the door until his nails broke and left a bloody trail on the door. He was crying when he heard _his _voice suddenly speak in the darkness. He didn't knew if it was his imagination or not, but _he _should still be in prison, _he _was never to come out again. But then again, he still heard _his _voice calling his name in that creepy, fake tone.

_"Saaanjiii~_"

He scratched harder on the door; his fingers pulsating from the big lost of blood. "G-Go away! Y-you're not here…!"

_"Saanjiii~"_

"Leave me alone!" the blond panted and began hammering on the door again.

_"Come here my **son**!" _The voice sounded so damn close, like it was right next to him. He didn't want to, but he couldn't help but turn his head slowly to his right and stare directly into a blond man's face. His dark eyes shone in the darkness and he smiled a toothy grin towards him, something that petrified Sanji.

_"Hello **son**!"_

Sanji let out a bloodcurdling scream and hammered insanely on the door before him. Suddenly, he heard someone knocking on it from the other side of the door.

"_Sanji? Sanji, are you in there?_" It was Zoro's voice. Sanji scratched at the door and cried.

"Get me, get me out of here! Please get me out!!"

"_Sanji? You okay? What's going on in there?_"

"Get me OUT!! HELP MEE!!" He scratched even more at the door, painting it more and more with that crimson colour coming from his fingertips. He heard the man snicker behind him and whisper into his ear.

_"I will kill them! I will kill all those who stand close to you! And then, when I have killed your loved ones before your **eye,** I will kill **you**! Slowly and painfully."_

The beating of the blonds' heart was banging in his eardrums, like a large hammer on iron. "Leave me… alone…!"

_"I'll kill you! I'll kill_** _you _**_with my own **hands**!"_

-x-x-x-

Zoro slammed his shoulder into the door as he ran towards it. The damn door just didn't want to move! His friends stood nervously behind him in the dark apartment, Nami and Usopp both holding a candle each. Damn electricity! Why the hell did it have to go out right then?

Sanji couldn't take the darkness. Sanji couldn't take small rooms; it made him to remember _that _and _him_! He only went in the bathroom, course he had to… but he _never _used to lock the door! "SANJI!! Answer me if you can hear me!" he called as he banged his shoulder once again against the door that creaked at the action. Good, it was slowly giving in! He pulled back and as he was about to run against the door again, he heard another blood curling scream come from the bathroom. Shit! He ran towards the door with all his might and power and broke both the door and the frame.

He stood there and stared into the darkness. He panted hard as he tried to find the blond in the dark shadows. He heard whimpering coming from somewhere on the floor and slowly stepped closer.

"Sanji? Sanji, can you hear me?" he asked calmly even though he was trembling in nervousness. "Sanji?" he whispered as he neared a dark hunched form pressed close up against the wall. In the weak light he could see Sanji sitting there, his arms wrapped around his legs and his head buried into his knees. He was shaking all over his body. He felt his socks wet with something and looked down at the floor as he lifted his foot up to see what it was. Blood! And not only here, but the trail was leading from the door and to the shaking form before him. It was smeared out like he had been crawling in it or something. On the wall, right beside the shaking form that kept rocking back and forth, were pictures of fishes that had been drawn… in blood! Big fishes, small fishes… all in blood! Definitely _not_ good at all! He heard sniffling sounds and whispers coming from him, but he never could make out _what _he was saying. "Sanji…?" He moved even closer and reached down to touch his shoulder.

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE! DON'T TOUCH ME!!" Sanji suddenly burst out in a high-pitched, cracking voice and kicked out towards the dark shadow before him, unaware of whom it was. His foot connected with something, which encouraged him in his panicking state to make another move and kick that shadow once again. He didn't know _where _he was hitting, but _he _shouldn't touch him _ever again_! He heard an _"Ouf!" _and the sound of someone slamming into the sink. Then he heard screams and cries as he lanched another kick out towards the shadow on the floor. But another one grabbed his foot. '_What the…?_'

The light suddenly came back on and Sanji's visible eye widened in horror. No! No, what had he done?! Luffy, who stood before him and held his leg, looking in disbelief at him, let go of his foot, which landed with a _thud _on the floor, and hurried over to the body before Sanji that suddenly began coughing uncontrollable. The blond felt his whole world turning upside down as he saw Zoro on the floor grabbing his stomach and coughing like never before. He had heard him have a coughing fit before, but not as bad as this one.

"Zoro, try to take deep breath! Deep breath, Zoro!" Vivi said, panicking as she saw her green-haired friend turning blue in the face. Zoro couldn't breathe. He was coughing so hard that he couldn't breathe in before the next cough came. "Zoro!"

"I'll get the pills!" Nami said and hurried out to the kitchen after his medicine.

Zoro turned around on his back and forced himself to breathe. He panted hard and wrenched in pain as his chest and stomach rang in pain. Why had he been so foolish to near Sanji the way he did? It was like moving a hand towards a scared dog; a scared dog that felt cornered up always bit to get free... even if it was its own master! What an idiot he had been! He should have slowly got closer to him and talked to him calmly like Doctor Johanna had told him to do. She was the best psychologist in town, if not, in the country, therefore she should know what she was saying.

He opened his eyes and looked back at the blond he came in for to get out. He clenched his teeth hard together. Damn it, what had he done? Sanji's hands were all bloody and wounded. His _hands_! Fuck! And not only that, but hewas shaking like hell as he looked in horror back at him and was definitely now blaming it all on himself. It was because of _him_ that Sanji tried to protect himself. He had thought that he was _him_! That _fuck-head_ had ruined Sanji's life so much that it had taken Zoro as long as he knew the man to give him some kind of a normal life. That freaking murderer! If he ever came out of jail, he defi-

Another coughing fit brought him out of his train of thought and hatred towards the blonds' psychopathic father. He didn't know _who _was calling his name, but all of a sudden, he got that old taste back in his mouth, the taste of copper as he turned his head and spat the blood out on the floor beside him. He was feeling cold, so damn cold and dizzy, but he just wanted to get close to his lover and comfort _him_ instead. His stomach hurt as he hurried to turn on his side again before he threw up on the floor right beside him. Someone lifted his head up and turned it a bit so he wouldn't get suffocated by his own sickness on the floor as he once again threw up until there wasn't anything more in his stomach. But he couldn't stop throwing up. His throat stung and his stomach cramped as he threw up again; this time there was no more food from his stomach… this time it was blood! Nothing but pure blood! No acid, only blood. Oh shit! Sweat covered his face and the rest of his body; he was gasping for air but kept looking at his lover through his blurred vision. "S…Sanji…" he whispered, his voice raw from the rough treatment of his throat. He wanted to be near him, ensure him that this wasn't his fault… that he shouldn't blame himself so much. Suddenly, his body began to cramp and everything hurt so damn much. He screamed out as he clutched harder around his stomach with his one arm and, with the other, he grabbed the fabric over his heart. It felt like it was smouldering. It felt like it was burning up as he once again began another coughing attack. _Fuck_ his throat hurt!

"Someone call an ambulance!" he suddenly heard Usopp call in panic.

"Oh god, no, Zoro! Stay with us!"

"Zoro!"

"Z…Zoro…" Sanji whispered in disbelief. Oh god, what… what had he done? Damn it! When would he ever be able to see between imagination and the real world? He felt his heart wrench in pain.

"_You damn murderer!"_

He suddenly heard a voice speak in his head, not only one, but two, three, four other voices. His lip quivered and his bloodied hands were shaking as they moved up to his ears to block out those voices, covering his light hair in that dark crimson colour… no matter what he did, it didn't help.

_"What have you done?!"_

_"What have you done, Sanji?"_

_'I didn't-'_

_"This kid is unstable and dangerous…"_

_"…a nine year old child from Paris was brought this evening to Le Mari's Hospital after surviving a brutal family massacre this Christmas evening…"_

_"…the nine year old boy from the Baratie-massacre has been proven guilty of killing his own parents… the police say that the child's real father had forced the child to do it… fingerprints of the child have been found on the murder weapon…"_

_'I…I didn't do anything…!'_

_"…a new investigation has told that Patrick Baratie, who killed his own wife and her family, **did **it all and even tried to kill his own son! The young Sanji Baratie has now been removed from Saint Michelle and…"_

_"You're a murderer, Sanji… a murderer!" _

"No…! Zoro!" he breathed out as he grabbed tighter into his hair and started rocking back and forth while he kept looking at his fiancé on the floor. What had he done…again? He was… was he really a… a mur-

The green haired man opened his eyes tiredly to look up at him as the coughing had stopped tormenting him for a moment. Damn it! He looked so pale and sick! Zoro moved his lips to say something, but nothing but blood came out of his mouth. He swallowed and let out a weak moan of pain, but kept looking at him. Sanji couldn't tear his eye away from him, and if he could he would have cried, but his eye was left with no more tears.

"S…Sanji," the green-haired man whispered and tried to clear his throat. Said person looked at him in horror and froze as the other suddenly moved his trembling arm up and reached out towards his blond lover. "Sanji," he said a bit clearer as a tear escaped his eye. "Don't… don't leave me. Please don't leave me Sanji…! It's… not your fault! It's not… please stay… don't leave me… alone…!"

"Zo… Zoro!" It was like a hard slap to his chin as things suddenly cleared from his mind; the thoughts from before were all gone and now he was back in the real world and stared at the pathetic form of his lover. He clenched his teeth hard together to suppress the urge to scream out and kick himself for his fucking foolishness. Damn it! Zoro wasn't supposed to act like this neither! Zoro shouldn't look this weak! Not again! Not ever again! What a fucking _idiot _he had been! What the hell had he done?!

"We can't wait for the ambulance to come!" Luffy suddenly spoke out angrily and kneeled down to grab around his friend's body, but before he even got his hand anywhere near him, Sanji was suddenly at his side and doing the same. Luffy blinked in surprise as the blond grabbed around his lover's body and pulled him up into his arms. Zoro gasped and clenched his teeth hard together. The blond swayed dangerously on his legs. The man was damn heavy, even though he had lost so much weight after not eating much in the last five weeks. "Sanji..." Luffy said and rose up. "Eh, shouldn't I-"

"Franky! Get my car keys now!" the blond suddenly ordered, startling them all. The blue-haired man never questioned him, but just did it. "Usopp, Nami-san, and Vivi-chan, please go before us and tell them that we're coming!" Nami let out a yelp of surprise and almost dropped the glass of water she held in her hands when she saw Sanji walk past her with Zoro in his arms. She went to place the glass on a table before Usopp grabbed her hand and hurried out the door with Vivi behind them.

Zoro kept coughing and threatened to lose unconsciousness. "So… damn tired…"

"Damn it, moss-head! Don't you fucking dare fall asleep right now!" the blond yelled as he ran down the corridors and down the stairs… It was a wonder how he never missed a step.

"Sanji…?" the green-haired asked in surprise and moved a hand up to touch him, just to ensure himself that he was real and what he saw was true. "Tears…?" he asked, his voice sounding cracked and hoarse. Sanji chewed on his lips.

"Just stay awake, damn it! I'll bring you there! I'll bring you to the hospital and I won't leave you! I'm always by your side! I'll always stay by your side, I promise! Just stay awake for god's sake! Don't you dare give up like that!"

"Hmph! Like I would, curl-brow, you won't get rid-" He was cut off by another coughing fit as he was placed in the backseat of Sanji's Toyota with the car owner beside him. Two other doors before them were opened and shut close, but he never registered _who_ it was.

"Shut your fucking mouth and stay calm! Got that?!"

Zoro smiled and sighed in relief. Sanji was getting better again… and he never would leave his side. "Thanks..." he breathed out and slowly closed his eyes. He couldn't resist that sweet peaceful sleep anymore.

"**_ZORO!!_**"

-x-x-x-

His eye stung from the last salty tear that had leaked out a long time ago. He grabbed tighter around his legs as he pressed himself closer up against the corner he sat in and kept rocking back and forth, like he was trying to calm himself down. Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! What had he done now? What would happen? Would he…? Or would he…? No matter what, what would happen next? Would he be hated? Would he be thrown back to _that _place? Would he be locked back into _that_ room where there was nothing but a bed with _straps_? What _would _happen? His breathing quickened and his body began to tremble even more. Damn it, that operation was taking way too long!

He dared to look up from his knees and look around in the small room he had been locked into. He didn't remember how he ended up in here other than that he came running into the hospital, the doctors took Zoro, and they _separated _them, even though he wanted to be at his lover's side. He _thought_ that he might have been overreacting a little when he kicked one of the doctors for not letting him enter the same room they took Zoro to. The last thing he knew was that a needle was shoved into his arm, he felt dizzy and tired, and then everything turned black. Now he wanted to get out, but he couldn't. That same old creepy feeling slowly began to take over again. He _hated_ small rooms, especially small hospital-white rooms with only one bed in it that not only reminded him about _that_, but also his old 'room' at Saint Patricks Psychotic Hospital, or in directly translation; Hell on Earth!

He had heard the doctors talk a little about sending him back there. He was too _dangerous,_ they said. He wasn't _stable _and he needed to get to a place where there were people who could _help _him. Sanji didn't want to go there again. He didn't wanted to get separated from his lover… he wanted a _life_! He wanted to marry him and then live happily ever after. He wanted to smile again without someone saying that he wasn't psychotic healthy today.

Someone talked outside his door again. He heard someone protesting and someone else was yelling at the protesting man. Sanji squeezed closer up against the wall. His heart began to beat even faster than before. He didn't want to go! He wanted to stay by Zoro's side! Where were his friends? Why weren't they here? Did they really hate him this much now?

The door opened and he buried his head further into his knees and tightened his grip around his legs. He didn't want to go! "Zoro…!" he muffled into his legs and gnawed even more in his bloody lip. He didn't want to go!

He froze at once at the contact of a hand on his shoulder, but he didn't dare look up before he heard the familiar voice of Luffy. "Sanji? Can you hear me?" he whispered as didn't he want to be heard by anyone else. Sanji looked up from his legs and into those dark chocolate brown eyes that looked back at him with concern written all over his face. "We won't let them get you, okay? We won't allow them to put you back into that place again, okay?"

"Zoro?" he whispered nervously back. Luffy looked back at the doctor in the doorway and then back down at his friend.

"Stay calm, then I'll bring you there." Sanji felt a pang through his heart. Was he...? Oh god no, don't say it was true. Don't say that he…

"He's sleeping," Nami now came in and said, giving him a comforting smile and gestured her hand down to a child standing beside her. "Thanks to this doctor here."

"The other doctors are talking about sending you to Saint Patricks Psychotic Hospital again after they looked through your files and after seeing how you reacted towards one of the other doctors here," the 'doctor' told him.

Sanji froze on the spot. Shit! Were they really going to-

"Sanji, if you agree to let Doctor Chopper come visit you, they won't send you back to that place!" Luffy interrupted his thoughts as he could see the haunted look in his friend's visible eye. The blond turned his head to look at the doctor, who didn't look older than fifteen or sixteen, who nodded to confirm that what he said was true.

"He's one of the most recommended doctors in the whole country even though he's still only a student!" Nami told him. The kid blushed slightly at the words. "He's almost done with his doctor degrees as well." Sanji blinked a couple of times and then nodded.

"I… I agree… to that…!"

-x-x-x-

Even though he got the warnings, he couldn't stop running towards that room where they said Zoro was sleeping. He knew it was stupid thoughts to have, fearing that he would die before he would get to him. So, as he literally burst in through the door with doctors behind him and his friends running somewhere behind him too, he couldn't do anything else but just stand there and wait. The feeling deep inside of him stopped him from moving; fear stopped him from breathing as he listened to that weak little sound that he could barely hear, thanks to all those apparatuses the sleeping green-headed teen was connected to.

Suddenly, one of the doctors grabbed him from behind and tackled him to the ground, and the door into Zoro's room slammed shut with a loud _BANG_. Sanji let out a yelp as they forced his arms behind his back and rolled his sleeves all the way up to his shoulder. "Ah! The hell are you doing?!" he demanded and hissed as one of the doctors behind him twisted his one arm a bit too much.

"We can't take any risks," another doctor said that stood about a meter from his face. Sanji froze at once when he saw what he was holding in his hands. "We had an agreement to stay calm while _walking _to Mr. Roronoa's room… breaking _one _rule, we can not trust you much more."

"No, no, please don't!" Sanji panicked as one of them grabbed his bare arm and stretched it out so the other could get to it. "N-no, please not the… please don't!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Chopper suddenly roared as he came in with Luffy, Nami and the others after him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO SANJI?!" Luffy demanded as he saw the doctors on top of his friend while another doctor was kneeling down before him with a needle in his hand.

"This is for safety measures after his records-" The doctor with the needle was cut off by the angry brunette.

"For '_SAFETY MEASURES_'?" Chopper thundered, completely out of it. "Doctorine would _never _allow such kind of treatments to our patients _or _their families and friends!" The little doctor-student pointed a finger down at the shaking and fighting blond on the floor, who froze at once when he felt everyone's gaze on him. "Can't you even see that he's panicking? Have you read his files right? _Never _attack him like that! _Never _lock him into small rooms and _never _corner him!"

"Young Mr. Chopper, I am aware of what was said in those files, therefore he's too danger-"

"He's not _dangerous_! He's _nervous_! _Nervous _about his friend and _nervous _about the things from his past! And that gives him problems today! And secondly; you don't treat a nervous person like _that_! _Thirdly_; you're definitely _not_ treating _any_ of _my patients_ like _that_! GET OFF HIM, NOW!"

Chopper panted as he almost placed himself in an attack position and waited for the other doctor's reaction. The man grumbled and cursed under his breath. "It's on your shoulders if he does anything, _doctor_-student Tony Chopper!" the tallest of the doctors literally spat out as he passed the little kid.

Sanji felt the two doctors moving away from his back and heard them walking away. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and laid his head down on the cold floor for a moment. His body was still shaking and he couldn't control it… he couldn't even stand up! He held in a breath as he suddenly heard the door ahead of him open up, and as he looked up he was met by a pair of grey, irritated eyes staring down at him. The blond blinked in disbelief when he looked back up at the green-haired man in white hospital-clothes.

"So… it's _you_ who's making all of that ruckus?" the man said tiredly and gasped every now and then. He leaned in exhaustion up against the doorframe and grabbed the wood running down it to keep himself stable. "No wonder I can't fall asleep!"

Sanji moved a bit up staring in disbelief. "Zo…Zoro? You… You're alive?"

An inaudible chuckle escaped his lips as tried to give the blond his best mocking smile. "I told you that you wouldn't get rid of me that easily," he joked tiredly and sighed.

"Oi, oi, Zoro? Shouldn't you be in bed instead?" Usopp said worriedly as he watched the muscular man, standing and swaying dramatically.

"WAAAA! You shouldn't even be _able_ to move out of bed yet!" the little doctor cried in horror as he hurried over to him. "You just woke up from the operation, it's dangerous for you to walk around like tha-" Zoro gave the kid a weak smile before his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed.

Sanji was up on his feet within a second and grabbed the man before he hit the floor. "Damn it, marimo, stop scaring me!" the blond said through gritted teeth as he fought to keep Zoro from falling to the floor. Luffy was soon by his side and helped him to carry the green-haired man back to his bed. Chopper was soon by the boy's side and hurried to reinsert all the tubes and the mask that gave the patient some oxygen to help him breathe better that Zoro had ripped off when he had heard what had happened outside his door.

Chopper kept looking at the monitor as a slow beeping-sound filled the little room, and he bit his lips nervously. "His heartbeat is too slow," the doctor confessed sadly. "He has overdone himself."

"Damn it Zoro! Don't you even dare -" Sanji was cut off by a hand on his hands that held Zoro's other hand.

"What… did I tell you…?" the green-haired teen said weakly and tiredly. He gasped for air and closed his eyes. "I'm..." He swallowed to moisten his mouth. "I'm just so tired… need to sleep… and then we'll go back home, you and me… right?" He opened his eyes slightly to look at the blond beside him who held onto his one hand for dear life. "Baka-cook, how about trusting me a little here?"

"It's dropping," Sanji heard the little doctor say as his body began to shake. Zoro's breathing became heavier and slower than before.

"I feel dizzy..."

"Oi! Pull yourself together, man!" Sanji roared and grabbed the collar of the other's shirt and pulled him up. "You're _not_ known for giving up like that, damn it! You're _not_!" Zoro's eyes became glazed as his head suddenly lolled to one side and a long _biiiiiip_-sound filled the room. Sanji stopped breathing as the sound filled his ears and the weight of Zoro became much heavier than ever before. No… no this couldn't be true… this couldn't be true! "Zo…Zoro…?"

"Zoro?" Luffy said panic-stricken as the swordsman became quiet. "ZORO?!!" The others outside of the room were in shock. Nami moved her hand up to her mouth as tears formed in her eyes. She turned around and buried her head into the nearest person's chest. Franky wrapped an arm around her little form; in his other arm, he had Vivi crying her eyes out.

Sanji's world stopped turning. Something wet collected in his eye and soon ran down along his cheek. This couldn't _fucking _be true! His arms moved automatically to lay the still form back down in his bed. Zoro never moved a limb. Sanji's legs became too weak and gave up on carrying the blonds' body; his knees hit the floor but he didn't care about it… he couldn't _hear_ anything other than that sound, he couldn't _see_ anything other than the still form of his lover… he couldn't _feel_ anything other than that deep cold emptiness that solely began gnawing on his heart. He was removed, showed to the side as doctors ran in and worked on with electroshock to get Zoro's heart to beat again. But nothing happened. No matter how many times they tried, the moss-head didn't want to breathe; his heart didn't want to beat. Sanji couldn't believe it. He just sat there, all forgotten, as the doctors pulled away and declared Zoro being dead.

Sanji almost crawled over to the still form in the white bed, and leaned his head down on the other's shoulder, carefully so he wasn't too close to his bandaged torso, even though he knew the other couldn't feel it if he did, and sniffled. The doctors dropped their heads and leaved the blond to give a proper goodbye to his friend, while mumbling ever so quietly their sorry's to him. Luffy and Chopper staid in the room ever so silently, not believing their ears, and with tears forming in their eyes. "Don't…" they heard Sanji say, who took a deep breath after that and lolled his head deeper into Zoro's shoulder "…noo, don't leave me a-alone… I don't want to be… alone… again...! –sniff- …not again!" He grabbed the white shirt and hiccupped. He grabbed tighter in the clothes and cried out loud.

Then suddenly he silenced as another sound broke through his crying… someone had forgot to turn off that machine-thing, and someone had given Zoro the tubes back on before they had left the room, well knowing that it would help nothing. Then suddenly hearing that sound was so surreal...!

_Bip! Bip! Bip! Bip! Bip!_

"Huh? This… this isn't possible!" Chopper suddenly cried. "I-.I've never seen…" Sanji flinched as he suddenly felt the broad chest suddenly lift as the once fallen man inhaled a large amount of air and sunk while breathing out. He blinked as it kept moving slowly, but it soon came to a normal easy pace in time. He heard Luffy gasp and he heard Nami-san and Vivi-chan stop crying. He didn't dare to hope… not before he felt a large, soft hand on top of his head. Fingers dug into his hair and stayed there like it was holding him from falling and to protect him. Sanji dared to look up and was met by two warm, grey eyes that looked back at him.

"I told you that you wouldn't get rid of me that easily..." Zoro breathed out, and cupped the blonds' face in his hand.

Sanji's lips quivered and suddenly he moved up and slung his arms around the other's neck and buried his face into the corner of the other's neck. Zoro almost got suffocated and let out an 'urgh', but didn't say anything as he heard the thing he loved the most; Sanji was laughing… laughing in relief.

"Thank god… Thank god that you're still alive…!" The blond pulled a bit away so he could get a proper look at his green-haired lover; he was much paler than usual and his beautiful, and also his strong, grey eyes were still a bit bleary. He looked exhausted; it was no wonder after going through an operation like that, walking out of bed, fainting, getting help back to bed and _dying_, getting electroshock without any help, and then suddenly, like a wonder, waking up from death! The real operation should have actually been on Friday, but perhaps this 'incident' that provoked it might have saved the teen's life. But thank god that the haunted look in his eyes was gone now; his eyes weren't glazed anymore… Eventually the distress had left those grey orbs and was replaced by a mere and bearable temporary pain.

He heard the door lock and threw a quick glance towards it. Chopper, Luffy, and Nami stood at the windows together with the rest of the 'gang' and gave him a supporting and cheerful smile, Nami-san and Vivi-chan were now crying of happiness, together with Franky who almost created a river of tears, before they left them to be alone.

Sanji Baratie took one long breath before he leaned back down to that comforting place on Zoro's shoulder and smiled a bright and broad smile that he didn't have in weeks, besides yesterday when his man proposed to him. Zoro could finally rest in peace without fearing whether or not he would ever wake up again. He sighed contently as _his _fiancé brought up both of his arms and wrapped them around his thin body. They sat like that for several minutes, never wanting to let go of each other again.

Zoro could feel the small jerks in the other's body like he was about to cry. "Shhh, I'm here… I won't let you be alone," he ensured the blond, who chuckled humourless. Hadn't he said something like that to the grass-head yesterday?

Sanji ran his fingers through the other's green, short hair… He couldn't wait until it would grow fully out and he would feel the softness of it again as it once had been before the chemo-therapy. He felt his lover's arms running up and down along his back as he tried to comfort him. Zoro pushed him a bit away and brushed some of his golden hair-strands away from his face. He caressed his face and felt the other leaning deeper into his weak hand. Sanji hummed and savoured the warmth from that hand that now lingered on his cheek. The rough thumb rubbed under his one eye and the swordsman's brow furrowed slightly.

"Tears," he mumbled. Sanji chuckled slightly at the repeat of the word from yesterday evening. Zoro looked into that single ocean-blue eye that let another teardrop fall onto his hand. "Don't ever cry because of me again," he told him while caressing his chin. "It hurts too much."

'_Don't ever leave me again,_' Sanji would have said, but Zoro already knew he was thinking that. Sanji sniffled and dried the tears away from his face as he chuckled. "You know what would hurt? A kick from me if you ever dare to scare me again like that!" This time it was Zoro's turn to chuckle as he pulled the blonds' head down to him again.

"Yeah, _that_ would definitely hurt!" he said and kissed him.

**_~The End~_**

**Nille: So, so? Did you like it?**

**Nami: -squealing- It was _lovely!_**

**Robin: Really good, I must say.**

**Nille: Hehe! Thanks! –big smile-**

**Chopper: Remember to Read & Review!**

**Nille: Yes, please! I love your Reviews, so please tell me what you think of this story as well… I'm thinking of writing a sequel to this one with some (many) chapters in it… But I would like to hear what you think about it!**

**Anyway, thanks for reading!**

**See you next Sunday in 'Taste of bittersweet Disaster' chapter 19! Bye bye!! **


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